Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork

Fieldnotes

Stumped for somewhere to go at the weekend, someone suggested Hengistbury Head. Should have known it was going to be swarming with people considering it's surrounded by Christchurch and Bournemouth (and the sea). But go on a cold day and I expect you could have most of the paths to yourself, and the beach. It's a sandy promontory, falling into the sea. The site's been occupied for 12,500 years! and some important mesolithic evidence has been found there. Neolithic tools have been found, though they don't think there was a settlement. Also there are Bronze Age barrows, and some pretty enormous Iron Age double dykes cutting the point off from the mainland.
All the people almost spoiled it, but I should have expected them and it was a lovely day anyway. There are some massive concrete paths for the masses, but if you wanted to stray down the smaller tracks I think you'd get some peace. Most people were as usual 100m or less from the car park and the caff.